


Trial of Courage

by VanillaMeteor, Yogurt_Tea



Category: Amnesia (Game & Anime)
Genre: Choose Your Own Ending, Dialogue Heavy, F/M, Fluff, Gen, No Spoilers, POV Second Person, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:20:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26862790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VanillaMeteor/pseuds/VanillaMeteor, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yogurt_Tea/pseuds/Yogurt_Tea
Summary: It is eleven at night, and instead of being at home cozying up to a warm bed, you’re standing in the middle of the woods with all six of your co-workers, a photographer and your manager on a rather chilly August night.You must venture through the dark woods at night, the question is, who do you take with you?
Relationships: Heroine/Ikki (Amnesia), Heroine/Kent (Amnesia), Heroine/Shin (Amnesia), Heroine/Toma (Amnesia), Heroine/Ukyo (Amnesia)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Quick things to take note of:  
> 
> 
>   * This fic doesn't take place in any particular world from the first Amnesia game. It is similar to Amnesia Later's "New World" segment, which is generally a slice-of-life world where Heroine still has amnesia, but all characters have an equal chance with her.
>   * The Waka of this fic is Amnesia Crowd's "Work Segment." Essentially this Waka is similar to Clover World's calm Waka, except he has a sixth sense when it comes to spiritual beings.
> 

> 
> That's all you really need to know, go ahead and enjoy the fic! (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑

“Hey, I know this is probably a good chance to regain your memories but...”

Orion trails off, still wearing the same worried expression he’d had for the past five minutes,

“...Isn’t this a little too scary?”

You’re starting to agree with Orion.

It is eleven at night, and instead of being at home cozying up to a warm bed, you’re standing in the middle of the woods with all six of your co-workers on a rather chilly August night.

You were promised a company trip with all your co-workers and some of the regulars at the Meido no Hitsuji cafe. What you got instead was apparently a test of courage through the woods on an unmarked path with only the flashlight on your phone for backup.

“—And afterwards we will all meet at the clearing at the end of the woods.”

“Manager, is this even safe?” Toma steps forward, “If something happened to one of us while we were alone, we’d have no idea.”

“Oh? I never said you were going alone. It would ruin the point of the whole excursion for each of the staff to go at it alone.”

Shin, arms crossed, glares across at Waka “...What _is_ the point of this trip?”

Waka turns to Shin, smile losing all humor, “Why, of course it is to deepen the bonds between each of the staff members. After the past few weeks of bickering and poor behavior, something needed to change.”

Kent nods in understanding, “I see... that does make sense. There is a psychological phenomenon associated with deepening bonds when placed in scenarios of perceived danger with another.”

“Wait—” Ukyo interrupts, “—If that’s the case, why are am I here?”

Waka frowns, “We had an odd number of people.”

“That’s it!?”

“Regardless—” Waka continues, pulling out an array of sticks from his chest pocket, “We will now draw sticks to decide pairs. The person with the the highest number stick—#8— will get first picks, the person with the second highest number chooses next, and so on and so forth.”

Orion immediately moves closer to Waka, looking closely at all the sticks. You realize quickly he’s trying to figure out which of the sticks is #8.

Waka smiles at everyone, “Sound fair everyone? I’ll let you all choose your sticks, so come on over.” He fans out the sticks, now concealing the numbers to you.

“Hey!” You jump, startled by Orion’s exclamation, “Stick #8 is the one on the far right! I was watching when he was shuffling earlier, go grab it! Quickly!”

You nod, ignoring how this was technically cheating— and quickly grabbed the stick on the far right. In a matter of seconds, all the sticks have been drawn.

“Alright, does everyone have one? Then look at your number.”

Sure enough, the stick you drew has a small “8” drawn in marker at the top. You give a small smile to Orion, expressing your thanks. He gives you a thumbs up in reply.

There’s a short silence as everyone examines their stick.

“I got #2...” Sawa mutters.

“It’s okay Sawa,” Ukyo nods sympathetically, “It’s better than #1... I really can’t catch a break”

“Oh! I’m #7!” Mine exclaims, “Wow~! Lucky~!”

“I’m #3” Kent interjects

Ikki waves his stick in the air “#4”

“#5” Shin mutters.

“Wait, I’m #6,” Toma says, “So then the person who got #8 was...”

They all turn to you. You force out a smile under all their expectant gazes.

Orion laughs awkwardly beside you, “Ahaha.... um, actually maybe we should have let someone else choose #8... Sorry I didn’t think ahead and just told you to grab the highest number...”

Waka smiles at you, “Looks like luck was on your side...” then he frowns, coldly staring right next to you—at Orion— “However, perhaps it wasn’t quite luck that helped you out...”

“Wha-!? He’s staring right at me!? B-but that’s impossible!!” Orion quickly moves behind you, clearly startled by Waka’s pointed words.

“C’mon manager,” Mine starts, “She grabbed the stick immediately, there’s no way she could have known.”

“Perhaps...” Waka chuckles.

“Anyways, can we get this over with?” Shin huffs, “Let’s pick the pairs and finish this.”

“Then—” says Ikki, “Who will our lucky lady choose to accompany her?”

> > “I choose Shin.” (Chapter 2)
> 
> > “I choose Ikki.” (Chapter 3)
> 
> > “I choose Kent.” (Chapter 4)
> 
> > “I choose Toma.” (Chapter 5)
> 
> > “I choose Ukyo.” (Chapter 6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this fic for the Halloween season! It's an experimental deviation from my normal writings, both the writing in 2nd POV, it being dialogue heavy, and the branching paths. If there's enough demand for it, I'll try writing another branching story for Christmas later on, as my obsession with Amnesia has already plagued me for 18 months and is still going strong.
> 
> I'll try and update every so few days. Hope you enjoy the rest of this fic! (´ヮ`) ♡ ♡
> 
> EDIT: VanillaMeteor is co-writing for the first half of Toma's, and all of Ukyo's route!


	2. The Darkest Path

“I choose Shin.”

“Aw, you hear that Shin?” Toma elbows Shin in the side, “She picked you out of all of us.”

“Shut up.”

Orion nods next to you, “Shin’s your childhood friend, so that’s a safe choice. While he might be a bit mean, he won’t let anything happen to you.”

Everyone then proceeds to pick their partners.

After you chose Shin, Mine immediately called dibs on Ikki. Then Toma chose Sawa, and Kent was left with Ukyo by default.

In summary:

> Shin x You
> 
> Ikki x Mine
> 
> Toma x Sawa
> 
> Kent x Ukyo

“Kent and Ukyo, huh... I bet that’s going to be awkward.” Orion mutters next to you, “Those are two people you rarely see together, I wonder what they’d even talk about...”

You would agree, but Ukyo’s voice interrupts your thoughts.

“I’ve taken pictures here before, I actually won an award for one of them, When the fog sets in, it creates this great atmosphere, and the vines of the area have such large distinct leaves that create fantastic shadows and edges.”

Ukyo is standing over with Kent, already caught in a conversation.

“Oh? Did these vines have purple stems and angular leaves?”

“Ah, I think so? It was a while back, in spring? I remember they had cute yellow flowers”

“Then as I thought, those plants were Hedera rhombea, known more commonly as Japanese Ivy. They’re very common to the area, and can easily get out of hand. We’ll have to be careful walking, there may be unseen ivy growing along the ground we could easily trip over...”

Their voices fade away as they get farther away, already walking down one of the paths.

“They’re... oddly getting along. Huh. Didn’t see that coming.”

You can agree with Orion on that one.

“Hey.”

You jump, surprised to see Shin suddenly at your side.

“Don’t look so surprised. You’re the one who chose me as your partner.”

You smile sheepishly in apology.

“Just stay close, I don’t want you getting lost alone out here. I’ll lead the way, so just follow.”

Shin turns on his phone’s flashlight function and starts moving down the center-most path.

“There doesn’t seem to be many plants or weeds on the path, so it should be the easiest to walk though. Come on, let’s get this over with.”

He’s right, this path seems to have more barren ground than the area surrounding it, but it’s a lot darker than the other pathways due to the overarching trees. In fact, it’s probably because the trees in the area obscure so much of the natural light that no small plants could grow there.

You want to protest, but it’s not like the other paths are going to be much more comforting. Shin’s probably right, the center path would be the fastest, therefore you could get out of the creepy forest that much sooner.

“Hey, stop spacing out and hurry up. The other’s have already left.”

You blink and quickly look around. He’s right, the other’s are long gone. Even Waka is no where to be seen. Shin’s staring impatiently a few meters in front of you.

You mutter a quick apology and run up next to him.

“Sheesh, let’s get going.”

You and Shin start walking. The forest is eerily quiet. Despite being a summer night, the cold seems to have chased away any of the cicadas that normally would be humming at this time of night. Despite your co-workers and Ukyo being in the same forest, you can’t hear them, it’s as if you and Shin are the only living things in the whole forest. Both you and Shin have your flashlights on on your phones, but it’s only enough to light up the path beneath your feet so neither of you trip. The inky blackness stretches all around you from all sides. It feels like something could jump out at you at any moment.

“Nngh...” You hear Orion whimper next to you, “This is really creepy... can you ask Shin how much further it is? Just at least to fill the silence...”

You agree, it’s starting to become unbearable.

You tug on Shin’s sleeve, “Shin? How much farther do you think we have?”

Shin turns to you, the same bored expression on his face, “How should I know? The manager’s the one who set this up, not me. You heard what he said, just walk down the path until you reach the clearing.”

You frown, “I was just asking for your opinion...”

“I seriously have no idea. Your guess is as good as mine.”

You’re not really sure how to reply to that, which leads both of you back to silence.

“Jeez!” Orion huffs, “It’s obvious you’re unsettled about all this! Couldn’t Shin be at least a little more comforting? He’s acting so cold!”

“Tell me about it...” you mutter.

“Don’t sulk.” Shin responds, and then you realize you accidentally responded aloud to Orion’s comment.

The wind gusts, and the branches above you rustle ominously. You shiver, and cross your arms. There’s nothing supposedly scary happening, but it still puts you on edge.

Mere seconds pass, and you think you might be okay. Shin’s ignoring you for the most part—in fact he’s actually a few paces in front you—but it can’t be too much farther to the end, right?

Something small suddenly dashes in front of you, and you screech in alarm, falling backward onto your butt.

“Hey!” Shin stops walking and turns back to you, alarm in his eyes, “Why did you scream? What happened?” He quickly walks over to you, crouching over and extending a hand to help you up.

You suck in a deep breath, trying to calm your rattled nerves, “I just... saw something move and it startled me.”

You take Shin’s hand, and he pulls you up. You can’t bring yourself to look up from the ground, feeling embarrassed for making a scene.

He still hasn’t let go of your hand, but he isn’t saying anything. Is he mad at you?

“...You’re trembling.” then he sighs, “I should’ve known. You’ve always been a scaredy cat. It can’t be helped—we can hold hands until we’re out of the forest.”

Before you can react, Shin resumes walking, pulling you gently behind him.

You mumble an apology, feeling your cheeks glow from embarrassment, but also of a fleeting happiness.

"It's fine." He says curtly.

The bushes rustle again, but this time, you don't feel as scared. Shin's warm hand in your own reassures you.

"Thank you..." you mumble.

Shin, turns to give you a look, "You don't need to thank me. It's partially my fault for not remembering you were a big chicken."

You frown. Rude.

"Heh, sorry. I just couldn't help remembering when we were kids. We used to get into so much trouble, and by the end of it, we'd get scolded by both Toma and our parents."

Then Shin wrinkles his nose, "Ugh, I'm starting to sound like Toma- reminiscing about the past like this."

You laugh.

"But at least I'm not with him. There's no doubt he'd have paired up with me if you didn't pick me first."

You squeeze his hand, "What's wrong with that? Toma's your childhood friend too."you ask

"Yeah. Exactly. Knowing him, he'd probably either try and spook me with some stupid story, or try to embarrass me to death by bringing up some memory from when were kids."

You nod. Although you still have some missing blanks in your memories, you do recall some memories of both Shin and Toma. And as much as you loved Toma, he enjoyed teasing the both of you a little too much.

"So thanks. For picking me that is."

You swear you see the slightest dusting of red on his cheeks, but then he turns his head away.

"...How much longer is this anyways? We've been walking for a while now."

You shrug.

"...Not that I mind it too much."

You blink, and are about to question that statement when you hear a shriek somewhere to the right. You feel Shin’s hand tense in your own.

“That sounded like Sawa...”

The fear from earlier surges back full force, and your legs freeze on you.

Shin, who was still walking, accidentally jerks your arm.

"Hey--" Then he stops, when he sees your fearful face.

You want to say something, to bring back the easygoing atmosphere from earlier, but you can't. It's stupid, and it's irrational, you know that, and yet you can't stop your throat from tightening and your muscles from freezing on the spot.

"...Hey." Shin's voice is suddenly softer than before, "It's okay. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Shin pockets his phone, and takes your other hand in his, "Relax, that scream was Sawa, right? She was paired up with Toma, and we both know how much of a troll that guy can be when it comes to horror."

You nod, still feeling a little shaky.

Shin smiles, "It sounded like it came from up ahead, I'm sure they're at the clearing and Toma chose Sawa to torment since we're both here. We don't know anything for certain yet, so don't go imagining the worst."

You take a deep breath. Shin's right. It's probably something stupid, and you shouldn't jump to conclusions.

That makes you feel a little better. You give Shin a weak smile.

"You okay now? Alright, let's go then." And he lets go one of your hands to pull his flashlight back out.

As you walk forward, you can start making out voices. Shouts of anger, that sound awfully like Sawa's.

It takes only a few more meters of walking to realize Shin's guess was right on the mark.

"Toma you jerk!! That's not funny! You could have given me a heart-attack!"

You're not close enough to hear exactly what Toma's saying, but it sounds like he's trying to talk between laughs.

"You were right Shin." You smile at him.

He scoffs, "I don't know whether to be happy or disappointed that I know Toma so well."

Orion coughs loudly, "Um... Maybe you two should let Toma and Sawa know you arrived? That'd probably stop their shouting from scaring someone else."

You agree. It wouldn’t be good if one of the others called the police after hearing screams and shouts. You raise your free hand and wave your arm widely

Toma notices, and waves back. Sawa, who was still in shouting stops to look over towards you and Shin.

Immediately, Sawa sprints over to you, "Oh my god!! I'm so glad you're here!" Sawa looks at you with tears in her eyes, "Toma's the worst! An absolute bully! He kept telling me scary stories and trying to freak me out!”

Toma laughs, walking up from behind, “Well, while Sawa didn’t have a good time, I can tell the two of you two did.” He pointedly looks at Shin’s and your linked hands.

Shin quickly yanks his hand away, “She just got scared because she heard Sawa screaming. It’s your fault for scaring her.”

“Why are you getting so defensive Shin?” Toma teases.

“Because—”

“The _point_ of this trip—” Waka’s voice booms, “—Is to bond and _stop_ these petty squabbles.”

“M-manager!?” Sawa squeaks, “When did you get here?!”

“I’ve been here the whole time. You and Toma simply didn’t notice due to your bickering.” Waka exhales exasperatedly,

"However it appears I must go over the fundamental basics of being a good staff member at Meido no Hitsuji. Toma and Sawa. Please make yourself comfortable on the grass, this will take a while."

"What!?" Sawa gasps, "B-but I'm the victim here! He's the one who was being uncooperative!"

Waka sighs, "The mere fact you are saying this is why I ask you to stay." he turns to you and Shin, "You two did fair. Shin, while you were about to get into a heated argument with Toma at the end, you still proved to be a good teammate to her. It was good to see the two of you remained mostly calm throughout the test of courage, and that you neither antagonized the other and instead leaned on each other. You are both dismissed."

Shin stares, "That's it?"

"Yes. The path ahead is connected to the main street. You'll arrive back safely in about five minutes trek."

You glance over at Toma and Sawa. Toma doesn't look too affected by being lectured, or at least he doesn't look that way when standing next to Sawa crouched on the ground sulking.

"Now--" Waka claps his hands, "--Let me start with the ideal traits of a Meido no Hitsuji staff member..."

Shin puts a hand on your shoulder, "You heard him, let's get out of here."

"Okay."

Shin walks ahead of you again. This time, the path is clear and well lit by the waning moon up above without the obstruction of trees.

But even then...

You speed up your walk and grab Shin's hand.

He gives you a look, "What. You're still scared?"

You shake your head, and give him a smile instead.

"...Fine. But only because it's dark out and I don't want to lose you."

You laugh, "That's fine by me."

And then the two of you walk home.

* * *

**END**

* * *


	3. A Kiss in the Dark

“I choose Ikki.”

Ikki’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, “Me? I’m happy to hear it, but I admit it is surprising.

“Aw no fair!” Mine cries out, “I thought I’d be fine since I had the second highest number, and then you went ahead and chose him!”

Sawa pats Mine on the back, “It’s okay Mine, we’re here for you. As your co-workers any of us would be more than happy to—”

“Ngh, then I’ll just go for the next hottest guy—Ukyo.”

“...So cold. She picked the one person here that wasn’t a co-worker” Sawa murmurs.

After that, Toma predictably chooses Shin. Sawa and Kent got paired automatically being the two left over.

In summary:

> Ikki x You
> 
> Mine x Ukyo
> 
> Shin x Toma
> 
> Sawa x Kent

Ikki extends a hand out to you, "Well then, should we get going?"

You nod, but don't take his hand. As much as you like Ikki, you didn't want to be treated like one of his fangirls.

"Ikki, huh." Orion says next to you, "He does seem to be the reliable type in these kind of situations, but...

Ikki lowers his hand once he realizes you aren’t going to take it, "No? That's fine, whatever you're comfortable with. Although, I have to ask... why did you choose me?"

You answer simply, "I wanted to spend time with you." It's the truth, without any of the gritty details.

"Hm..." Ikki stares at you, "Is that really it?"

He takes a step closer, and suddenly he's close enough that you can feel the heat radiating off his body.

"Are you sure it isn't my eyes working on you?" He grabs your chin lightly with a gloved hand and tilts your head upwards to look at him.

He's maddeningly close, to the point you can smell the faintest scent of coffee emanating from him.

You want to say something intelligent, something witty with a bit of bite to it to impress him. You aren’t going to swoon like on of his rabid fangirls. You're his friend, and to continue to be that, you can’t idolize him and put him on a pedestal.

But at the same time, it’s difficult to calm your racing heart.

"Too CLOSE!” Orion yells, breaking you away from your thoughts “What the hell!? Does this guy not understand the concept of personal space?!"

Orion’s outburst makes you laugh under your breath, surprising Ikki.

"...You're supposed to get embarrassed, not laugh at me." Ikki takes a step back, letting go of you. You almost laugh again at Ikki’s pouting expression.

"Sorry." You automatically apologize, but you're can’t stop grinning.

This only furthers Ikki's pout. He doesn't say anything though.

"Are the two of you leaving anytime soon?" Shin's voice calls out, "Or are we going to be subjected to this kind of flirting for the rest of the night?"

You turn, and see Shin scowling a few meters away. While your other friends seemed to have departed, Toma and Shin were still here.

You hope the darkness is enough to hide your surely flushed face.

Ikki shrugs it off, "I was simply checking up on her. I wanted to know if she had any ulterior motives."

Toma scoffs "Huh, funny. I was wondering the same thing about you."

Orion sighs next to you, "You sure are popular huh... It's nice everyone cares so much about you, but it sure causes a lot of tension..."

Yeah, it really does. You should probably stop them.

You tug on Ikki's sleeve, and point to a random path, "Why don't we go ahead? It is why we're here after all..."

Ikki smiles at you warmly, "Of course. Let's do just that."

You turn over to Shin and Toma, “I’ll be fine. We’ll all be meeting up at the clearing later, so don’t worry.”

The path the two of you walk down isn't well lit. The tree branches above obscure much of the moonlight, enough to make sure you do need to use the flashlights. It's difficult to walk through too, the small plants and roots make for easy spots for either of you to catch your feet and fall. You <i>really</i> don't feel like falling on your face in front of Ikki, so you're forced to walk a lot slower than you would have preferred. There’s just too many roots. Every time you think you find a place to put down your foot, there’s a patch of slippery moss, or an uneven root waiting to trip you. You have no idea how Ikki is managing to walk with hardly any problem. Being a gentleman, he’s constantly stopping to make sure you have time to catch up. Still, it’s a little embarrassing being watched as you bumble around trying to keep your balance.

"Hey,” Ikki says softly, “Are you scared?"

You blink. Actually, you'd been so preoccupied not tripping you forgot this was supposed to be a trial of courage in a spooky forest.

You shake your head.

"Oh, I see."

You frown, why does he sound so disappointed?

Orion snorts next to you, "Do you think every other girl he's been in a scary setting with just clings to him the whole way?"

Ah. Actually, that probably is the case. Maybe that’s why he’s been so quiet, he was preparing himself to comfort you, and make sure you were doing okay, not to make small talk.

Still, the forest is a little too quiet...

And as soon as you think that, a branch audibly snaps behind you.

A bush rustles loudly, and you hear a dull thud. Something is there, and judging by the sounds of it, it's something larger than any normal woodland creature

"Ikki?" You whisper, "Did you hear that?"

Ikki nods, "Yes. Actually, whatever that was, it’s been following us for a while."

Your eyes widen. Wait, really!? Is that why Ikki's been quiet this whole time?

You feel your muscles stiffen. Is it the fanclub again? You didn’t think they’d be brazen enough to try and hurt you while you were with Ikki. But this <i>is</i> a dark forest, and if something were to happen, or you got separated...

Ikki brazenly puts an arm around your shoulders and pulls you closer almost making you lose your balance, "Stay close, I don't know what they want, but I don't want to risk you getting hurt."

In any other circumstance, you'd probably be embarrassed, but right now— it was comforting. The spike of fear you felt when you heard the branch snap is slowly ebbing away, but instead replaced by a dread.

What if it was the fanclub? What would they do after Ikki was gone and you were walking home alone at night? Wouldn’t Ikki’s protection now only fan the flame for later?

“Ikki...” You mutter, “What if it’s the fanclub...?”

Ikki looks at you, surprise slowly morphing into comprehension.

“...Then I suppose we’ll just have to lose them.”

What? You can’t run in these condtions. You’re going to end up tripping and twisting your ankle.

But before you can protest, you feel your feet swing out from underneath you and the whole world spins as you fall...

...or not.

In a flash, you find yourself being carried by Ikki bridal style. You’re barely able to register this before the world starts rushing past you.

“I-Ikki!” You manage to sputter out.

“Don’t worry, I got you.”

He steps deftly through the tangled undergrowth, not stumbling once despite how the roots reach up to claw at the two of you.

The sound of too many footsteps echo around you— your pursuers are giving chase. There really were people stalking the two of you. Without thinking, your fingers grip tightly onto Ikki’s shirt, seeking comfort.

Just as you think this, you hear an oddly familiar yell from behind, followed by the loud sound of multiple snapped branches and a groan. The footsteps pursuing you stop.

Ikki lowers you back onto your feet, "It sounds like we’ve lost our followers.”

You nod, "Yes... thank you. It was a little embarrassing, but I appreciate the quick getaway."

Ikki practically glows with the small thanks, "It was no problem, with you in my arms, I felt as if I had the strength to do anything."

He reaches a hand towards your face, and ever so gently tucks a loose strand of hair behind your ear, "I know I cause a lot of trouble for those around me, and yet you still chose me to be with you despite that... Thank you." his hand lingers at the edge of your face.

“Of course.” You answer softly, “I care about you, Ikki.”

He slowly cups your face in his palm and ever so gently lifts your chin up. He does it all so gingerly, giving you the easy, viable choice of shoving him away.

“Can I kiss you.?”

Instead of answering, you close your eyes.

Even without your sight, you can hear Ikki move closer, his breath ghosting across your skin right as—

“AARGH!" Someone shouts.

You jump, and headbutting Ikki. Your hands fly to your face, both to cradle the pain in your forehead, and to hide your mortified expression.

“Ow...” You hear Ikki groan, “That shout sounded like Sawa...”

You look up from between your fingers, following Ikki’s line of sight.

In the distance you see Kent, Sawa, Mine, Ukyo and the manager standing in the clearing. It seems like they're all caught in a discussion, but Sawa is the only one audible from here.

"STOP MAKING FUN OF ME!!!" Sawa cries out, "I'm not the bravest, nor the smartest but I'm SENSITIVE!"

You turn to Ikki, with a slight frown, "Should we go join them...?"

Ikki sighs, "I suppose we might as well."

When the two of you arrive, it’s clear what the fuss is about.

“Sawa,” Kent chastises, “It isn’t an opinion, it is fact. Not only do you fail to get good scores academically, you cannot seem to discern reality from fiction and lack basic common sense. Therefore it can be concluded you lack higher thought processes, or simply cannot absorb information no matter how succinct nor simple it’s phrased.”

“You’re just calling me stupid! You’re saying it all fancily but you’re just saying I’m stupid, right!?”

“Er... Shouldn’t we say something?” Ukyo mutters to Mine.

“Nah. We might as well see how this

“Hey um...” You turn to see Orion floating next to you, “So I kinda sensed you two were having a moment when Ikki put you back down so I cut our link and gave you some space, but... well, while I was lurking in the back, I found out who was following you, and it was actually—”

“I can’t believe you twisted your ankle.” Shin’s voice cuts off Orion. You spin to see Shin and Toma coming from the same path you and Ikki were on. Toma has an arm around Shin’s shoulders, and you realize Toma’s limping.

“Ahaha... sorry Shin.”

“This is ridiculous. You preach being my responsible older brother and then I have to drag your sorry ass all the way back out here.”

Orion gestures dramatically towards them “Behold! The culprit was Shin and Toma all along!”

You laugh dryly. You wish this surprised you, but it doesn’t.

“Everyone has arrived. Excellent.” Waka’s voice booms, and he steps out from the darkness, “All of you made it through the woods with your partners mostly unharmed. While there were small mishaps along the way, you all cooperated with each other to accomplish your goals. This trip was a success. You are all dismissed.”

Ukyo gives a quick glance in your direction, but then looks back to Mine, “Do you want me to walk you home? You got spooked really easy and it’s dangerous for a woman to be alone at night...”

Mine nods, a small yawn escaping her, “I would appreciate it, I just want to go home without any incident...”

“Wait! Let me come with you two!” Sawa yells, “Don’t leave me alone~!”

Mine pouts, “Aw but I don’t want you feeling like a third wheel Sawa~”

“Huh?! B-but I can’t walk home alone!”

Kent sighs, “You could easily ask Shin or Toma to accompany you.”

“No.” Shin deadpans. “I already have to walk this dead-weight home. Sawa’s place is completely out of the way.”

“How troublesome. It appears I have no choice then. Come Sawa, I’ll drop you off at your place on the condition that you stop whining and complaining about everything I say.”

“Urgh... fine....”

Ikki chuckles, an amused look on his face, “My, my. It seems everyone had some fun tonight.” he says it softly enough that only you can hear.

You laugh, and nod in agreement, “We should follow their lead and start heading home too.”

“Agreed. I’ll walk you back to your apartment.”

The two of you walk down the dirt path, ahead of the others, following it until you reach the artificial light of the city streetlamps.

It’s quiet, but not eeriely so like before. The two of you are on a small side-street, it’s not well-lit but the clear night sky and the serene calm that came with it made it peaceful. It’s an intimate moment shared between the two of you in the darkness. Like when Ikki almost kissed you.

The thought startles you, and you realize you’re nearing the end of the side-street. After this, the two of you will be back onto the bustle of the main-street. You’ll be surrounded by eyes and no longer have this intimate privacy the side-street provided.

He starts to walk ahead, but you grab the edge of his shirt, “Wait.” you say, “Ikki, I...”

He turns to you, and before you can think better of it, you cup both your hands around Ikki’s face and impulsively bring your lips to his. It’s a soft but firm kiss, his lips are slightly parted in surprise, but before he can do anything in response back, you back away quickly, your courage already worn thin.

“Th-there’s the main street!” You blurt out, a rush of elation and embarrassment flooding your system, “Let’s hurry up and go!” You quickly walk ahead of Ikki, and you hear him laugh behind you.

“Of course, my daring princess.”

* * *

**END**

* * *


	4. The Illuminated Path

“I choose Kent.”

“Wha—” Sawa gasps, “You chose the spartan over your best friend!?”

“Relax Sawa,” Mine says, “She just chose the logical choice.”

“Hm? And do tell, what is logical about choosing me over the others?”

“You’re the tallest, so you’re the hardest to lose.”

“Wait really!?” Sawa turns her attention to you, “Did Kent’s tallness win over our friendship!?”

You shrug with a nervous laugh. You’re not really sure how to answer that.

“I mean,” Orion starts, “Kent’s probably the safest bet in terms of keeping your amnesia a secret. He’s just a co-worker who’s normally holed up in the kitchen...right?”

You frown. Orion has a point but you were hoping maybe you two are closer than first impressions would lead you to think. Kent’s distant, but that’s just his personality, it’s not reflective of your actual relationship. At least, you hope so.

After that, everyone started to choose their partners.

Because Sawa continued to pout after that, Mine chose Sawa as her partner. Toma predictably chose Shin, which left Ukyo and Ikki as the leftovers.

In summary

> Kent x Heroine
> 
> Mine x Sawa
> 
> Shin x Toma
> 
> Ukyo x Ikki

You walk over to Kent, ready to start your trek.

"Ah, good you're here. I have already selected the best path for our journey."

He continues before you can continue, "You see, I assume that like Shin, you wish to take the quickest path through the forest. However, I believe the fastest way would be the way that doesn't let us get lost. Therefore the path on the far right would work to our advantage."

You look over to the path in question. It is a lone dirt road that seems to swerve more to the right than forward. Unlike the other paths, there are few trees, allowing the moon's light to shine down onto it.

Okay, so in other words, Kent chose the longest path, but also the least scary path. You can definitely live with that.

You smile, showing your approval.

Kent looks away too quickly for it to be deemed natural, "Alright then. Let us depart." and he strides ahead, so suddenly and quickly, you’ll lose sight of him soon.

Ikki chuckles behind you, "Don't worry, he's just shy. You're in good hands, so just go easy on him."

You frown, "Okay?"

You understand what Ikki's insinuating, but at the same time, Ikki could easily just be saying that to tease Kent. You wouldn't put it past him.

Wait no, you should follow Kent before you lose him completely.

You quickly run after Kent.

Even when you catch up to him, he's still walking a bit too fast for your liking.

"Could you walk a little slower?" You ask.

Kent seems to notice you lagging behind, "...Apologies, I didn't realize I was outpacing you."

Thankfully he slows his pace, enough for the two of you to walk alongside each other.

Unfortunately, it makes it all the more awkward when neither of you speak.

"Um." Orion starts, "Maybe you could talk about the situation? This could be a good chance to learn more about Kent."

You nod. You'd like to believe you were closer than what Orion suspects.

"So." You start, "What do you think about this company trip?"

That's a safe question, right?

"I believe the purpose behind it makes sense in theory, however I doubt a trek in the woods would produce the results the manager is hoping for."

You frown, "It's just to help everyone get closer, right?"

"Yes, however the whole drawing lots and choosing our partners completely negates the purpose of it. By allowing us to choose our own partners, we will only choose those we favor, and not of those who we dislike." He adjusts his glasses, "To make it more efficient, the manager should have chosen the partners of those who we're the least closest to, or dislike the most."

Huh. Kent has a good point.

Okay, time to probe further,

“Were you surprised I picked you?”

“A bit. Although I suppose in a way the manager didn’t need to force us to pair up seeing as you did it of your own volition."

You blink, wait. Did he really say that? You glance over at Orion, who has a similar shocked look on his face. Okay, so not just you. But... you can't just accept that, maybe he means something else.

You take a deep breath, "...Does that mean you didn't want to paired up with me?" You try to sound indifferent, but even you can hear the hurt in your voice.

Kent stops walking, "No?" He looks genuinely surprised, "Why would you come to that conclusion?"

The look on his face quickly turns to understanding.

“Ah... I see now.” He shakes his head, “No, I did not mean it that way. I meant that we’ve had our fair amount of heated debates. I don’t particularly dislike you, it is simply that neither of us are that close.”

So you aren’t that close to Kent. It’s relieving to hear he doesn’t hate you but... it’s a shame you two aren’t close. Instead of feeling disappointed about it though, you feel more determined.

"Then you don't think us friends?" You ask.

"H-hey!" Orion nudges you,--or at least mimes the action since he physically can't do so-- "Don't ask things like that so bluntly, he may not be dangerous, but he's super logical and might take you to a hospital if he starts to suspect--"

"...I suppose we are." Kent mutters, "It would be odd to not consider you so after all the time we've spent and known each other."

You want to ask more details, but you think better of it. Orion had a point, you don't want to end up in the hospital--not when you've already made all this progress. It's only a matter of days before you have full recall. You'll have your answers then.

"I consider you my friend." You say instead.

"I see..." Kent pointedly looks forward, not looking at you, "Well, onto another topic, I believe we're well ahead of schedule on this path."

"Schedule?" Orion asks, "What does he mean 'schedule'?"

You ask him about it.

"You see, I was expecting more undergrowth or plants to be obstructing our path, thus slowing us down. However instead this appears to be a well trodden, level path. Therefore we may in fact arrive sooner than the others despite that we're walking a greater total distance."

You nod. That makes sense.

It's actually quite a peaceful walk. This company trip was supposed to be a test of courage, but unless Waka has some elaborate jumpscare set somewhere, it's looking like all this will be is a peaceful walk.

You frown. Maybe you should have suggested a different path. You chose Kent because you wanted to be closer to him, and learn more about him, but it seems like that's becoming more and more difficult than you initially thought.

Kent doesn't make it easy. You thought maybe you were getting somewhere by establishing that the two of you were at least friends, but then the heavy silence descended back down on the two of you.

You glance over at Kent. He's carefully keeping pace with you, but he's seems to be lost in thought over something else. He doesn't even seem to be aware of your presence.

In a drastic moment of frustration and impulse, you grab his hand.

He turns to you, puzzled, "What is it?"

You blanche, "I... just wanted to hold your hand."

"Why?"

“Um...” You look down and mumble, “Because it’s comforting...”

Kent doesn't respond immediately. Instead, he sighs.

"I didn't expect you to be the bravest soul, but I thought if I chose this path you wouldn't be fearful."

You blink. He thinks you’re scared? Wait, more than that, is he saying he chose this path for your sake?

"No matter--" He continues, "If that is why, I will oblige." His fingers curl around yours gently but firmly.

He doesn't say anything after that, and you realize quickly that the conversation is going to die quickly if you don't say anything.

You ask him if he’s ever been on this path before.

“Not this particular path, no.” You can feel the tension in his hand relax, “However, I have been in this forest before to gather samples for my experiments...”

You ask about his experiments, and soon the two of you are engaged in a lengthy conversation about the various vegetation of the area, their adaptability, and what new chemical fertilizers Seichi University was able to develop thanks to the experiments of said vegetation.

Before you know it, the two of you are at the end of the path. A wide open clearing stretches before you.

“Hm. It appears we’re the first ones here.” Kent lets go of your hand.

“Wow, it looks like Kent was right. The longest path turned out to be the quickest.” Orion says, reappearing next to you, “Say, how much longer do you think until the others show up?”

You turn the question over to Kent.

“Unless they ran into trouble I would say within a few minutes.”

You nod, it’s just a waiting game now.

You take the time to really look at your surroundings. The grass tickles your leg, reaching almost to your knees. Just like the path you took with Kent, the moonlight brightens the whole area. However, because the clearing was so bright, it made the forest look even darker and spookier. You’re starting to feel really grateful you let Kent pick the easiest— arguably the lamest— path there was.

Suddenly, the sound of a branch snapping cuts through the clearing.

You immediately turn to the sound—towards the forest paths— and see Mine and Sawa burst out from the bushes. The first thing you notice is that they’re holding hands.

“Ah!? We’re out!?” Mine cries out, loud enough for you to hear despite the many meters between you.

“We are! The others are here too!” Sawa points over towards you and Kent, “Heeey~!” She waves over to you, a big relieved smile on her face, “We’re alive!”

The two of them—hands still joined—run over to you.

The first thing out of Kent’s mouth is, “Of course you’re alive. What, did you think there was some kind of monster from your ridiculous ghost stories?”

“It was scary in there!” Sawa protests, “We couldn’t see anything, we kept hearing strange noises, and at one point I even lost Mine!”

“I’m sooo glad it’s over now. I don’t think I could have survived much longer in there.”

“Maybe so.” Kent agrees, “Your panic probably would have led you to more harm.”

You laugh, and try and give the two of them some comfort, “It’s okay you two. It’s over now, and you got through safely.”

“You’re right... although I’m still mad Sawa abandoned me halfway through.”

“I said I was sorry! It was just an accident, I didn’t realize you had stopped walking!”

“And I said ‘give me a second to retie my boot laces’!”

Never a dull moment with these people...

Shortly afterwards, Shin and Toma emerger, as well as just Ikki. Apparently Ukyo ‘snapped’ and ditched Ikki about a third of the way through.

After everyone arrived, Waka came in and gave a speech about how well everyone did, even if some people lost their partners temporarily or permanently. You are all dismissed and told to go home.

“I’ll walk you home. It’s dangerous for a woman to walk home alone at night.”

You can’t argue, and welcome the company, “Okay.” and then you think better of it, “Wait...can we hold hands then?”

He frowns, “Are you still scared?”

You shake your head, “No, like I said before, it’s just comforting.”

Kent doesn’t seem to understand this, as his face pinches together with incomprehension.

“I don’t understand. Is this simply a female friendship thing? Such as Mine and Sawa holding hands and going home together? In that case, I’ll have to refuse, as I am not one of your female friends, thus you should not treat me as such.”

You quickly shake your head, “No! I see you as a man, I promise. I just... want to hold hands with you.”

“I... see.”

“Is that a no?”

He shakes his head, and you notice the faint blush in his cheeks, “No. I can accept that, it’s just unexpected...”

You smile warmly, “Thank you.”

He nods, unable to look you in the eye, “It’s fine. Let us go back then.”

He’s more nervous than you would hope for. Maybe you should bring up a topic to relax him.

“So. Judging from what you said to Sawa, you don’t believe in ghost stories?”

This gets his attention, “That’s not the case. I will not dismiss things the supernatural as a possible explanation, however only after other, more probable scenarios have been disproved.”

You laugh, “What kind of improbable stories has Sawa been telling you?”

Kent relaxes a bit, “Well you see...” and he continues to tell you about it.

Immersed in a conversation disproving urban legends of myth, the two of you walk hand in hand home.

* * *

**END**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize a bit that I’ve written myself into a corner in terms that some of the character chapters have to stay fairly platonic unless we dive into OOC characterizations for played up romance. I have no complaints, as I’m more fond of platonic interactions, but sorry for anyone that came for Kent (or Shin) and were disappointed by fairly platonic fluff. There was more explanations than scenes in here, but that’s more because I’m posting every three days, and this chapter was going to become longer than I wanted. Hope you enjoyed anyways! Thanks for reading!


	5. Ghosts of the Trail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is co-written by VanillaMeteor and myself! VanillaMeteor will be writing all of Ukyo's chapter.

“I choose Toma.”

“Oh? Me? Well then, I look forward to it,” Toma replies smiling.

“Hm... it’s a good choice, but it’s a little risky,” Orion mutters next to you, “While he’s your childhood friend and could easily bring up old memories, there’s also a greater chance he might catch on to your amnesia...”

Toma turns to Shin, “Hey, maybe we should invite Shin along too as a group of three. It can be just like old times. What do you say, Shin?

“...Who do you think you are, my mom? No thank you,”.

Orion sighs, “Toma is a good big brother figure, but he can be overbearing at times...”

After you chose Toma, Mine picked Ikki, Shin chose Ukyo, which left Sawa with Kent.

In summary:

> Toma x You
> 
> Ikki x Mine
> 
> Shin x Ukyo
> 
> Sawa x Kent

Toma’s crossed the area to stand with you, looking a bit perplexed, “I wasn’t expecting Shin to pick Ukyo,”

Orion nods in agreement, “I thought he’d go for Kent. I mean, between the three choices of Kent, Sawa and Ukyo, I thought he’d go for the person he’s normally paired up with at the cafe for kitchen duty.”

Not only that, but from what you gathered, Shin wasn’t much into socializing. If he had to be with someone, you thought he’d choose someone who would be equally as willing to walk in silence.

“I can hear you, you know.” Shin huffs, “What does it matter to you who I choose? ”

Toma chuckles, “I’m your big brother, of course I care. Don’t worry though I’m not going to stop you, I just worry about you. Especially since there are strange stories about these woods.” His smile drops, forming a serious expression, “I’ve even heard of one where there’s a ghost that steals away the youngest member of a family...”

This immediately catches the attention of you, Orion, and oddly enough Ukyo—who you swear you see glance over at you in alarm.

Shin on the other hand, looked only more exasperated, “Horror stories like that might work on one of the girls, but it’s not gonna work on me.” He turns to Ukyo, “Let’s go, the sooner we get this over with, the better.”

Ukyo seems a little reluctant, but he obliges. With that, the two enter the forest ahead of you on the center-most path.

“I suppose we should get going too.” Toma says, “Stay close, okay? I don’t want to lose you.”

You nod. You don’t know much about the woods, so you’d really prefer not to be wandering lost and alone at any point.

As you follow closely behind Toma, you notice Orion floating right beside you, itching to say something.

“Hey... you don’t think there are _really_ any weird stories about these woods, right?”

You give a half, non-commital shrug. While it’s likely Toma made up the story to tease Shin, it’s also equally likely something sinister happened in this creepy forest at some point.

You just hope that’s not the case.

The path you and Toma picked was the path just left of the middle path—the one Shin and Ukyo took. It isn’t too dark and small beams of moonlight peer through the treetops down at you. The most unsettling thing isn’t the semi-darkness though, it is the sounds— or moreso, the lack of it. Even though you know the others took paths right nearby, there was no sign of them— there weren’t even the sounds of animals or birds about. Even with Toma by your side, it didn’t feel safe, it felt like anything could happen.

“Ugh, I don’t like this!” Orion whines, “I know I’m a spirit and all, but I hate ghosts, the paranormal or anything scary! And thanks to this uncertainty whether or not there’s some vengeful ghoul out there, I don’t even know if it’s justified or not!”

You agree under your breath.

“Hm? Did you say something?”

You jerk upright, you thought you were quiet enough, but apparently the stillness of the woods carried your voice farther than you thought.

“N-no, I’m fine. Just nervous.” You manage to splutter out.

“Nervous huh?”

You don’t know why, but you immediately regret admitting that last part to Toma. Especially when you see that mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Y’know, I mentioned that there was this one ghost that abducts the youngest of the family, but there’s actually more to that story...” he smiles.

Orion screams in frustration, and you nearly fall over

“NO!! DON’T!!!” Orion screeches so suddenly, and loudly you nearly trip over yourself.

Toma chuckles at that, “That got your attention, huh? Well you see I left an important detail out.”

“Stop!!! I don’t want to hear it! _She_ probably doesn’t want to either!”

Yes, you’re nervous too, but now knowing there was more to the story, you think it’d be scarier not knowing. You frown, but you don’t interrupt Toma from telling his story.

“You see, there was a young boy raised in a family of nine. The boy was the youngest of all of his brothers and sisters. However, because he was the youngest, he was often bullied and took the brunt of the blame for everything.”

A chill goes down your spine. Wherever this story is going, it’s not going to be good.

“They would force him to do the hardest chores, steal from him, tease him, beat him up and play tricks on him. They did everything to make his life miserable. The boy hated every moment. He hated how siblings treated him, and he slowly became more and more twisted of a person.”

“Oddly he started wishing not for his siblings to stop, but rather a younger sibling for himself. He didn’t care if it was a younger brother, or sister, or even if they weren’t related by blood. He just wanted someone to hurt too, someone he could push around and abuse, and for his siblings to pick a new target.”

Toma stops, looking down at the ground and shaking his head pitifully.

“But the older siblings learned about his twisted wish and decided to play a cruel trick on him. They left a cryptic note reading that if hiked up to the highest point of this very forest and buried a coin with the year of his birth on it, his wish was guaranteed to come true.”

“What they didn’t realize was how determined the boy was to fulfill his wish. Despite there being a heavy rainstorm that night, he went out to fulfill his wish. He didn’t return that night.”

You bit your lip, Orion on the other head was visibly trembling.

“He didn’t return the next either, or the week following after. Finally the boy’s siblings confessed of their prank, and a full police search party was sent to search for him. And that was when they found the boy’s corpse buried in a mudslide.”

You feel your heart tug. It is a spooky story, but it’s also kind of... tragic.

“But people say that this hateful boy still seeks to find someone to hurt. They say he stalks the woods until he finds someone weaker than himself, a girl, or a young child perhaps... and when he finds them...”

He leans in close.

“Do you want to know what he does to his said victims?”

You quickly shake your head, “N-no, please. I-I don’t want to know,” you manage to stammer out.

“What she said!” Orion yells in agreement.

He chuckles again, “Haha yeah. I didn’t think you’d want to hear the rest.”

You pout. You heard Toma liked to tease you and Shin when you were small. Apparently it’s something he hasn’t outgrown. So the story was an exaggeration then...

He notices your upset expression and starts patting you on the head. It feels oddly nostalgic, maybe he did this to you when you were younger?

“Sorry, sorry. I know I shouldn’t tease you like that. I know how easy you and Shin scare.”

You blink, surprised enough to forget your fear. There’s no doubt you get easily scared, but Shin?

“He’d always try to put on a tough act, but he still doesn’t like being alone.” Toma smiles fondly, “That’s fine though, in the end, I’ll always be here for you both,” he says reassuringly

Somehow, looking at his kind smile and gentle eyes, you feel your tension ease. While he may have tried to spook you, he clearly doesn’t want you getting too upset.

Something about him tells you that regardless of what happens, you can always trust him to be there for you and protect you at all costs. You feel the same protectiveness from Shin, and even without your memories, you could feel that strong familial bond was between the three of you.

But somehow, it feels different with Toma. When you feel his touch you can’t help but feel heat rush to your cheeks. When he looks at you endearingly, your heart beats faster. When he smiles, you can’t help but want to be closer to him.

But in the end, in his eyes you’re just his little sister. Even if you regain all your memories of him, that wouldn’t change.

You shake your head. No, this is because you’re missing your memories you can’t take any risks. If you try and acknowledging these feelings carelessly, it could lead to losing one of the closest people to you in your life.

“Let’s get going.” Toma’s voice snaps you out of your thoughts, “We shouldn’t dawdle. Shin will get pissed at us for making him wait for so long.”

It had hardly been five minutes, but somehow, the eerie atmosphere managed to come back, despite having Toma by your side.

And dawdle you do not. Toma leads through the underbrush with speed, and as long as you carefully watch where he steps, you're able to match his pace with ease. You hate how every footstep you take echoes in the woods, but it's something you get over quickly.

"--!" A muffled yell catches your attention. It came from somewhere to your right.

Toma's stops walking, having heard the same thing as you, "That sounded like Shin."

"Do you think he's alright?" you ask.

He frowns, "Wait, could it be that maybe the ghost..." he trails off, but he’s smiling at you.

"Argh!" Orion yells, "Stop that! There's no ghost! There's no such thing so please stop!"

Why is Toma looking pointedly at you?

“...Maybe the ghost is feeling mischievous and spooking Ukyo and Shin. I don’t think anything’s going to happen to them, but we can’t say for certain... right?”

And then it clicks. What Toma is suggesting is that you and him play the part of hypothetical ghost to scare Shin and Ukyo

You laugh, unable to hide your smile, “You’re right. So what does this ghost do to its victims?”

Orion, still not catching on, looks at you in alarm, “H-hey!? What are you saying all of sudden!?”

Toma eyes light up, “Well you see...”

It takes little time for the two of you to find Shin and Ukyo. After crossing through the thickets and grass, you quickly find them walking down the main path, making no small amount of noise.

It's a lot darker down this path than the one you were on. It makes you wonder how on earth they got this far.

"Ukyo." You hear Shin snap, "Can you please stop worrying so much? It's getting ridiculous."

"But look at this place! It's practically a death trap! Aren't you worried for your sister? I mean, I already tripped over three different tufts of grass because of this darkness. If there just happened to be a sharp stick sticking upright in the dirt that my head happened to land on, I'd be dead!"

"Seriously, stop that. You're just paranoid."

"If you 've seen the things I've seen, you would be just as paranoid."

"Oh my god..."

You nudge Toma, "Hey, um... what do we do?"

Toma shrugs, "Let's start simple."

And then he snaps a branch next to you.

This immediately catches the attention of both of them. They turn and look straight at the two of you, crouched in the dirt next to the trees.

You're about to stand and laugh it off, but Toma grabs your shoulder and forces you to remain crouched.

"Hey, they can't see us." he whispers. “We're completely in the darkness right now."

You blink, and then nod. Right, of course. You should have known that. You quickly shrug his hand off, feeling a bit self-conscious. You’re grateful the darkness can hide your embarrassed expression.

You hear Shin sigh, "It's nothing. Stop fidgeting and get a move on."

Ukyo doesn't seem convinced, but he agrees without arguing.

You nudge Toma again, and look pointedly at him. What are you supposed to do next?

Toma laughs under his breath, "Okay, this is where things get more complicated. So-I'll move to the other side of the path, while you stay here. I'll rustle the bushes loudly, but when I do, you'll have to noise immediately afterward."

"Wait." You hear Orion says, "So this is a prank?"

You nod, both to answer Orion’s question and to let Toma know you’re 100% on board, "And after that?"

Toma grins, "My guess is that they'll ignore the noises and keep moving forward. When that happens, we'll follow and continue to make noises from opposite sides of the road."

You try not to laugh too loud. As simple and ridiculous this whole prank business is, it does sound like fun.

"I'll have to leave you alone on this side though," His smile disappears, and his expression turns serious, "If anything happens, just yell for me, okay? Even if you just trip, just call out and I'll be right over."

You give him a thumbs up, and then realize he can't see you. "Okay." You say aloud.

"Alright, then I'm heading to the other side now."

And that he does.

Orion appears next to you, frowning, "So you two are really going to go about pranking Shin and Ukyo?"

Your only response is a smile full of as much mischief as Toma's.

You wait a few terse seconds for Toma to get into position. You have to shuffle forward as to not lose Shin and Ukyo, but they're still walking so it isn't too difficult.

The loud rustle of bushes sounds across the path.

Shin flinches at the sound,

Wait, that's your cue! You quickly toss the branch you're holding onto the ground and snap it beneath your foot.

Amazing enough, both of them jump to the sound. While you're concealed by the darkness, you can see the two of them clearly.

"Wait..." Ukyo starts, "I think I know what this is."

"What." Shin deadpans. Despite his irritated tone, even from this distance, you can see he looks unusually tense.

"I think that this might be a pack of wolves. While they're normally docile creatures who avoid humans, with the way the worlds work and how I'm just as strong a magnet for death as her..."

"Ukyo, what the hell are you saying?"

Ukyo laughs nervously, "Um... we might be in real danger?"

Another branch snaps from across the path. You smile, knowingly, and synchronize with a kick to tree trunk, resulting in a dull thud.

Then they're voices hushen, speaking too quietly to hear from this distance.

Then without warning they start running.

"Ah!" Orion points hurriedly at them, "They're getting away!"

Do you run after them? Do you call for Toma!? You start to panic, not knowing what to do.

Then you see Toma come out of his hiding spot onto the main path, quietly laughing.

"I can't believe how well that worked," Toma manages between his amused laughter.

You find yourself smiling as well, "Same here. I thought we'd get caught almost immediately."

"Honestly? Same here. Why don't we go and catch up to those two?"

And that you do.

The funniest part, is when you and Toma emerge from the path into the clearing where everyone was to meet.

Shin and Ukyo were warily watching that path in fear of the ‘wolves’ that may have been following them. At first, they were visibly confused, but Shin’s face soon morphed into realization.

“It was you?!” Shin marches up to Toma, “You were the one trying to scare us on the path!”

Toma laughs, “I’m not confirming nor denying anything.”

Shin gives him a horribly scathing look, then turns to you, “And you? Were you in on it too?”

You give him a sheepish smile.

Shin stares at you before turning away and groaning,“Unbelievable...”

Beneath the exasperation, he sounds relieved though—and maybe a bit embarrassed. You laugh again. Toma was right, Shin’s still the same little brother from your childhood. At least, as far as you remember.

The others eventually arrive, and Waka dismisses everyone with a gentle smile, saying that you all passed and that you can all go home. You already accepted Toma’s offer to walk you home.

Then you notice the others are already gone, and that Shin’s walking ahead alone.

“Shin!” You call out, “Why don’t you walk home with us?”

Toma turns, and he notices the same thing as you, “Yeah Shin, come with us. It’s dangerous for a high schooler to be out alone at night.”

“...You two are more dangerous than anything out there.”

“Aw don’t be like that.” Toma says, already shifting into overbearingly adoring big brother mode, “We just worry about our baby brother all alone on the dangerous streets of the city at night.”

You nod, and immediately jump onto the teasing wagon, “Please Shin? Just let your big sister and big brother make sure you get home safe.”

Shin turns to you to give you an icy glare. You only smile in response

“...You two really are perfect for each other.” Then he briskly walks away, clearly completely done with the both of you.

Toma chuckles, “Ah well, looks like our baby brother isn’t going to join us.”

You laugh with him, “No, but we should probably follow suit and go home ourselves.”

“Definitely.” He replies

You take his hand. His eyes widen a bit at that, but then he smiles warmly.

“Let’s go home.”

* * *

**END**

* * *


	6. Trust Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> VanillaMeteor wrote all of this chapter! I just edited and added a few tweaks, hope you guys enjoy! Happy Halloween!

“I chose Ukyo.”

Ukyo had a look of alarm on his face.

“What?! Me?! No no no! Out of the question!” he sputters out, clearly flustered.

Everyone looks at him in confusion.

“Is there a problem, Ukyo?” Waka asks.

“Yes! I’m very, very dangerous! I’m a potential threat to her very being! She needs to pick someone else!”

Orion just stares, crossing his arms with a sigh, “...Don’t get me wrong, I don’t trust Ukyo that much, but don’t you think he’s overdoing it?”

“Ukyo, I think you’re overreacting,” Toma reassures, his big brother instincts kicking in.

Waka steps in with a more assertive tone, “Ukyo. Calm down. As I’ve mentioned, this is an activity used to build trust with each other. The fact that she chose you means that she wishes to form a better bond with you. Or do you wish to destroy her wishes?”

“Ah—no, I don’t mean that I just... I don’t want to risk hurting her...” he mutters.

Kent sighs, “As long as you are aware as to what constitutes as harassment of someone of the opposite gender, it should be alright.”

“Besides, you drew the #1 stick, so technically you can’t choose otherwise,” Ikki adds.

Ukyo’s shoulders sags, clearly he already lost a battle that... wasn’t even a battle.

He sighs “... It can’t be helped. I’ll comply. But if I’m to accompany you, you need to be able to protect yourself. Hold on.”

Before anyone could even, he reaches over to show the contents of the small travel bag perched at his hip.

“Here, if I do anything suspicious, do not hesitate to use these.”

With that he handed her two objects and placed them in each of your hands.

“H-hold it! Is that pepper spray?!” Orion exclaims, “Why would we need that!? And what’s more, a stun gun?! Why does he even carry these things?!”

Shin immediately speaks up. “What the hell, Ukyo?! Why do you have any of those things? Aren’t you a photographer?!”

The manager however shakes his head.

“Ukyo often talks about going to uncharted, dangerous areas. I wouldn’t be surprised if brought such things for self-defense.”

“I wonder if that really is the case...” Orion mutters.

You hope that is the case.

“But if I am to be honest, I think you should be more concerned over the invisible being that’s attached to you, Ukyo.” Waka warns.

This instantly got Orion’s attention, “WHAT?!”

“Oddly, this mysterious being doesn’t seem malicious, but it doesn’t seem too smart either. It could lead you unknowingly to a dangerous situation.”

Ukyo’s eyes widen but he quickly tries to brush it off with an awkward chuckle, oddly enough glancing to his side as if looking at someone who you couldn’t see. Orion on the other hand was completely alarmed at that statement.

“I knew it! He’s suspicious! Ukyo’s 100% suspicious! He’s haunted! You heard the manager! We definitely can’t trust him now!”

Soon everyone ends up picking their partners. As you thought, everyone ended up either picking their friends, or getting forced together due to being the odd pair out.

In summary the pairings were:

> Ukyo x You
> 
> Mine x Ikki
> 
> Toma x Shin
> 
> Sawa x Kent

“Alright! We’re off! Let’s go, Ikki!” Mine cheers as she waved to her peers.

“I guess we should get going too. Let’s go, Shin,” Toma encourages while Shin just scratches the back of his neck out of annoyance.

“See you guys on the other side,” Sawa reassures as she walks ahead with Kent tagging behind.

All that’s left is you and Ukyo in the clearing.

“I guess we should go too. Try to keep close—but not too close!” Ukyo instructs.

Orion groans loudly, clearly annoyed over how complicated Ukyo’s making everything despite how simple it is.

“Jeez, he’s really weird. What kind of guy tells a girl to keep their distance in a spooky forest? Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?”

You agree, but regardless, you follow Ukyo’s instructions and keep your distance.

That is, a distance so far, you have to yell to talk.

Ukyo looked over his shoulders to call out to you.

“I really am sorry about this! I know this is weird, but trust me when I say that this is for the best!”

“HOW?!”

You jump as Orion directed that at Ukyo, despite knowing he can’t hear him.

You watch Ukyo as he continues to walk ahead. The hiking trail has a steep area off to the side, but it isn’t too dark nor did it have much undergrowth. As long as you don’t stray from the path, it should be an easy hike.

Ukyo continues at a brisk pace ahead of you. As you journey deeper in, you wonder what kind of person Ukyo really is. He’s close to the manager and is friendly to the other staff, but when it comes to you, he’s always acting wary. Every time you interacted with him, he’d always put up walls and would try to leave as soon as possible, saying that it was best to not be with you for so long. It’s makes you think you did something to make him hate you.

It doesn’t make much sense since he always states that he’s “dangerous.” Suspicious, sure, but he never showed any signs of wanting to hurt you. In fact, anytime you did run into him, he’d always remind you to go with another person, never wander into any suspicious places, and even tell you about specific dangers despite how improbable they are. He would always prioritize your safety over everything else.

Perhaps the best thing to do was to break the ice and just ask straight up if you did something to make him avoid you.

You hurry your pace until you’re right behind Ukyo.

“Ukyo—”

He jumps as soon as you say his name.

“AH! Oh, it’s you—Wait! I thought I told not to come near me! Hold on, did something happen!?”

You look up at him and saw how genuinely worried he was over you. It is strange how this man you barely know is so invested in you. What was your relationship with him prior to your memory loss? Did you two get along just like everyone else in the staff? And if so, what happened between you two that caused Ukyo to become so distant from you?

You askehim, “Ukyo, do you hate me?”

His eyes widened in shock. Both concern and bewilderment flicker across his face.

“What?! Why would you say that?”

“You seem to keep your distance from me. Even earlier, you were against pairing up with me.”

Ukyo blinks, realization slowly sinking in.

“Oh uh... So that’s what it is...”

He sighs, “It’s complicated... I can’t really explain it. But to put it simply, I can’t always control my own actions. I could end up doing something unforgivable to you. Especially in situations where we’re alone and I’m at a state where it’s harder to control myself.”

You blink. What? What exactly is he implying?

“Don’t say stuff like that to her in a situation like this! That’s creepy! It’s scary!” Orion yells over her shoulder.

“But let me reassure you that I don’t hate you. The thought of me hating you couldn’t be farther from the truth. I want you to live the happiest life possible. But... you can’t do that with me around...”

His tone sounds so somber, so heartbroken. He looks away, but the you know whatever expression his face is holding is far from happy. Even though you can’t remember him, you know now more than ever before that this man wouldn’t hurt you. You can see that despite his strange behavior and flustered rants, he’s only trying to look out for you and your own happiness. But, why does he act like he himself has no value? Why does he continue to push you away despite clearly caring for you? Does it have something to do with your amnesia?

“Did I do something to you?”

Orion quickly butted in, “Wait! Don’t you think that’s too direct?! Ukyo could figure out you have amnesia!”

You bite your lip, he is right. It was a bit direct. But you want to break this tension more than anything. Because despite the fact he was only a regular at the cafe, you still care about him... and just as his care for you goes beyond a simple acquaintance, oddly enough, you think you feel the same.

Or... maybe more.

Ukyo stays silent, his eyes closed, and oddly enough he looks like he might collapse.

Before you could do anything else, a wide grin appeared across his face. But for some reason, it’s nowhere near the gentle smile you knew so well. Rather, his smile looked twisted and broken and full of so much malice you actually take a step back in shock.

“Heh heh, HAHAHAHA! You’re seriously asking that?! It’s because of you I had to suffer over and over and OVER! You cause me so much agony without even knowing it! ALL OF IT IS YOUR FAULT!” Suddenly, you realize the malice is directed at you. Not only that, but it’s full of hatred and pain.

You back away automatically, too shocked to really react. Orion immediately placed his hands on your shoulders, even though they were only phasing through your own body.

“Wh-what’s with this guy?!”

“You know, this hiking trail has a steep slope. I could just as easily push you down, deal with you, and I could easily call it just ‘an accident.’ What do you think?”

Your body freezes, and suddenly it’s hard to even breathe. Every limb in your body stiffens in place. Did... did he want to kill you?

He grunts, keeling over with a pained expression. When he lifts his head again, he looks dazed.

“Huh? Did I black out just now?” He asks but then his eyes widen, when he sees your stiff expression

“Hey, what’s wrong? Wait, he didn’t he do something to you, did he?!”

Orion reacts quicker than you do, “Hey! Don’t just stand there, you need to run, now! I don’t know what’s going on, but Ukyo’s not stable!”

Orion’s voice thankfully snapped you out of it as you quickly pushed pass Ukyo and sprint down the trail.

You could hear footsteps thudding behind you. Ukyo’s tall so he has a larger stride, but he doesn’t seem to be catching up? Is he still trying to maintain a distance?

“Wait! It’s dangerous to run down this path!” he calls out.

You turn your head around to see if Ukyo was still pursuing you. It is a fatal mistake. Almost on cue, your right foot slips from underneath you. A strangled cry falls from your lips as you find yourself skidding to the right. You fling your arms, trying to grasp hold of anything, but your hands meet nothing but loose dirt that only crumbles in your hand as you plummet down the path side.

“NO!”

But it is too late. You feel your head spin with dizziness as you realize you’re falling freely for far too long to trick yourself into believing you won’t be hurt. Pain spikes through your body as you crash onto the sloped ground, but it doesn’t end there. The momentum pushes your bruised body to roll further down the slope. Helplessly, you roll down as your body continually slams against the ground. You don’t feel the pain, but maybe it’s the shock preventing you from feeling the new cuts and bruises that must be forming as you roll all the way down.. Finally, you slammed to a stop as the ground became even again.

You blink, waiting for wave of pain that will inevitably come.

But it doesn’t come

...You’re not hurt?

You brain slowly catches up to you. For some reason, it feels like the fall was cushioned somehow. You slowly blink your eyes open and saw something underneath you. You could see a checkered patterns and feel slight motion under you. There is something tightly wrapped around you to keep you close to whatever cushioned your fall. You looked up and could see someone’s face scratched up with familiar green hair all tangled up.

“Ukyo?”

Ukyo grunted as he opened his eyes. Suddenly you realize he took the whole brunt of the fall. He must have grabbed her just before you fell and protected you from harm. He had many cuts and scratches, but thankfully, it didn’t look like he has any serious injuries as far as you could tell. He manages to speak.

“...You’re not hurt, are you?”

After all that, he was still more concerned over your well-being over his own?

“I’m fine,” You manage to say, “—but Ukyo, you look hurt! Should we call an ambulance?”

You were about to pull away to dial your co-workers and perhaps the hospital for help but then you felt a strong force keep you on Ukyo’s body. You realize it was Ukyo himself, holding you tighter.

“U-Ukyo?”

“I-I’m sorry. I know this is so weird for you. Being held by a stranger like this. I just... I’m so glad you’re safe... and in my arms.”

He pulls you in even more.

“I’m so glad I was given this chance before...”

This time, you could feel him trembling. You could even hear his breath shaking.

Was he... crying?

You weren’t sure what was going on. He first showed signs of being distant, then hostile, then finally, caring. It was clear that there were many things Ukyo is not telling you. But for some reason, you felt a pull towards Ukyo. You find yourself wanting to understand him and his situation. You wanted to get to know him more.

But more importantly, you wanted him to be just as happy too.

So you reached over and did your best to hold him too, despite being the one on top of him.

“It’s okay. It’s alright, Ukyo,” you reassure, trying your best to comfort him.

Honestly, it was hard to be scared of Ukyo after this. Right now, you could sense his fears and loneliness. And all you want to do was brush that away. You want him to feel safe, even if it is for a brief moment.

After what felt like only small moments, you could feel Ukyo stiffen as the realization of what he was doing slowly came to light.

“AH!” He quickly let go, putting his arms right at his side.

“I-I I’m so, so sorry! I shouldn’t have invaded your personal space like that! I wasn’t trying to- I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable!” He quickly says.

Somehow seeing Ukyo’s flustered face after a touching moment, and even a frightening moment with him brought a smile to your face. You couldn’t help but smile and try to stifle your laughter.

Ukyo on the other hand was perplexed.

“Sorry, but it’s just nice seeing your flustered and kind side, Ukyo. I don’t think I ever got to see that side of you.”

Ukyo looks at you wide eyed, before averting his eyes.

“Oh uh...”

He smiled, “I guess you’re right. I’ll be honest. It’s nice seeing you smile too. Especially for me...”

It seems the manager was right about one thing. This trip did help strengthen your bond with your partner.

You finally stand up and brush the dirt off your dress. You extend your hand to Ukyo.

Ukyo looks between you and your hand, and then gratefully takes it. After pulling him up, he looks around.

“I think it’ll be hard to get back on the path, but I think I can navigate our way out of here. I’ve trekked around this area before to take pictures. If we head that way, we can probably get out of this forest.”

This area of the forest however is more dense and lush, thus making everything darker. Ukyo luckily noticed.

“Um, here. You can hold my hand if it’ll make you feel better. I don’t want to lose you in this forest.”

Without hesitation, you take his hand. You don’t really understand why you moved so automatically, but whether it was fear or something else doesn’t really matter as you felt all your nerves wash away.

His hand is really warm.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Orion float beside you.

“Oh! Don’t worry, I’d made sure to cut our senses when you were with Ukyo.” He then sighs, “Ugh, I wish I could go further than ten meters so I could guide you and Ukyo. I guess we’ll have to trust Ukyo. I hope he knows what he’s doing.”

Orion is eyeing Ukyo. He still seemssuspicious of Ukyo, especially after his threat, but perhaps after seeing Ukyo protect you and how you willingly comforted him, Orion decided to give him a pass.

After being lead by Ukyo’s hand, you could see less and less vegetation around you. Finally, you could see what looks like the clearing.

As you near it, you could see everyone had already managed to complete each of their hikes, which made sense considering the detour you two made.

Everyone finally noticed you and Ukyo, though visible confusion was seen when they saw you two appear from the dense forest rather than the end of the hiking trail

“You guys are late,” Shin replied bluntly.

“We were starting to get worried if something happened. I was even about to call your cell,” Toma adds his eyes had both worry and relief in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” you quickly apologize. “We ended up taking a detour.”

It was a simple lie, but hopefully, it isn’t something that needs explaining and anyone could easily brush off.

Instead, Kent brings up an interesting point.

“Ukyo, I noticed some twigs and leaves in your hair along with some scratches on your hands. Did something happen?”

In response, Ukyo reflexively reached for his hair and indeed felt leaves and twigs in them.

“Whoa! Kent’s right. What happened?” Sawa asked, mostly asking you than Ukyo.

“Oh uh, it’s nothing to serious. Just some surface wounds from tripping. I didn’t fall or anything!” Ukyo says, trying to laugh it off.

You hear Orion sigh right behind you. Ukyo still can’t lie for the life of him, but he did leave out the fact that you were the reason he got hurt in the first place. Perhaps he did that so you wouldn’t draw to much attention. That is convenient since you want to avoid the hospital as much as possible.

“Ukyo, are you sure you don’t want us to call a doctor or anything?” Ikki asks out of concern.

“No no. Really, I’m fine.”

Ukyo reassures everyone that he’ll be fine and that he can treat himself when he gets home. He replies that his body is much more resilient than the normal human body, thanks to his childhood and career. Orion mutters something under your breath, probably more suspicions.

Regardless, everyone decides to trust Ukyo’s judgment since from looking, he doesn’t show any severe, visible wounds. But everyone reminds him that should something serious happen, he should not hesitate to call them. You notice Ukyo smile sadly at them, but still thanking them regardless.

Waka clears his throat.

“Well, despite that small incident, I think we can say that this event was a success. It’s getting late, so I suggest we call it a night.”

No one argued with that. Everyone also agreed to escort some of the girls home before they head home themselves. Ikki agreed to escort Mine back home. Since Sawa was already tired of putting up with Kent’s criticisms, it was decided that Kent would walk with Mine and Ikki. Sawa would then be escorted by Shin and Toma.

Toma offers to escort you back home too, but you politely decline, which does catch Ukyo’s attention.

Toma looked at Ukyo, wondering if he would be kind enough to escort you instead.

“Uh, I can escort her home, I know you have your hands full with Shin and Sawa...” Ukyo replies while muttering the last part.

Toma nods and wishes you two good night as he jogs back to Sawa and Shin.

You look back at Ukyo, still hold his hand.

“Um, I’ll walk you home. Normally, I’d try to avoid going near your home, but I guess it can’t be helped,” Ukyo states, but you notice that he’s happy to accompany you a little longer.

You smile.

“I had fun.”

Ukyo looks surprised, but then relaxes and smiles as he gently tugs your hand toward the path back into the city.

“Yeah, so did I.”

* * *

**END**

* * *


End file.
